Grinding machinery



May 8y E934. L. R. HEIM GRINDING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ll i 37mm/nto@ d y/ 6029/ o i atto/warm,

May 8, 11934., L. R. HEIM GRINDING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1934 PATENT OFFICE GRINDING MACHINERY Lewis R. Heim, Mount Dora, Fla., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Heald Machine Company, Worcester, Massachusetts Mass., a corporation of Application August 9, 1927, Serial No. 211,821

17 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in grinding machinery and has particular reference to a machine for rapid surfacing or grinding of flat sheets, bars or like material.

Prior to the present invention it has been customary and necessary inthe performance of precision grinding of flat material to suitably 'mount the article to be ground on a table or support and then cause a relative traversing movement of the parts either by a shifting of the wheel head or by a shifting of the work and its supporting table or unit. Either of these methods has involved a great loss of time in the handling of the work and as a result of the relatively slow speed at which the necessary traversing may be performed. It is accordingly one of the principal objects of the present invention to avoid the above noted objections in a machine for rapid grinding of flat bar stock accurately and in a minimum of time.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a machine for flat stock grinding in which the grinding may be substantially continuous and in which loss of time due to loading and removal of the work or relative shifting of the wheel from the work for clearance purposes will be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and it will be understood that -I may make any modifications in thev specific structural details hereinafter disclosed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure l is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention. i

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section therethrough.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of a slightly modified structure of work guiding mechanism.

Figure 4 is a View in elevation of the work rest support and associated parts of Figure 3, the bed of the machine being shown in section.

' Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section substantially along the lline 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary section illustrating the production of an irregular shape-on the face of a work piece.

As distinguished from the old method of rigidly supporting a piece of work to be operated upon by a grinding wheel, the present invention con-` templates the employment of a continuous feed of a plurality of work pieces successively, each of which, however, shall be rigidly held and supported so that its position is positively and accurately determined with respect to the wheel for grinding thereof, so that the work pieces may all be accuratelyireduced to the same size within limits of one or two ten thousandths of an inch.

Broadly speaking this is effected by causing the work pieces toV be placed preferably between the peripheries of two opposed wheels, each having their work engaging surface moving in the direction of travel of the work. One of these wheels, the wheel which procures the grinding operation, is intended to be rotated at a high or grinding rate of speedfto properly remove stock from the surface ofthe work. The other wheel, which procures a feeding movement of the work piece past the surface of the grinding Wheel,v is operated at a slow`rate of speed, so that it will positively frictionally engage the work piece at a point in opposition to the point of engagement of thev grinding wheel therewith and advance the work piece past the grinding wheel. As a 3; result, the two wheels provide therebetween a work receiving throat in which the rate of progress of the work through the throat is positively controlled by the rate of rotation of the slow moving or regulating wheel. The amount 35 of stock removed is controlled by the distance between proximate points on the grinding and regulating wheels.

In order that the operation may be eiciently carried out it is necessary to guide the work through the machine, so that it will pass through the grinding throat in prescribed relation thereto as in a plane at right angles to a line connecting the axes of the two wheels, whether passing parallel to the wheels or at an angle thereto.

' For a clear understanding of the invention one embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the base or bed 10 of a grinding machine has ways 11 thereon for supporting a slide 12 which provides a bearing for the vertical spindle 13 which carries the regulating Wheel 14. The slide 12 may be adjusted longitudinally of the ways by an adjusting screw 15. Disposed in opposition to slide 12 is a second slide 16 movable on ways 1'1 on the bed as through adjustment of a screw 18, Fig. 2. This slide provides 110 a support for the spindle 19 to whchis secured the grinding wheel 20.

, The two wheels 14 and 20 may be suitably driven at proper rates of speed respectively to control the speed of, and to grind the work pieces. In the mechanism illustrated, a main shaft 21, actuated from a suitable source of power, serves, through a pulley 22 on the shaft 21 and a belt 22a to drive the grinding wheel spindle 19'at a relatively high rate of/'speed, an idler 23 keeping the belt 22a under proper tension irrespective of the adjustment of the slide 16. The shaft 21 is further provided with a worm 24 meshing with a worm gear 25 which in turn through aworm and worm gear connection 26 drives the pulley 27 for rotating the spindle 13 by a belt 28 at a slow rate of speed. In the invention illustrated, the regulating wheel rotates in a counter-clockwise and the grinding wheel in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrows thereon in Figure 1.

The two wheels, as shown, are rotatable in a horizontal plane and they are enclosed within suitable heavy wheel guards 29 and 30 for protection of the operator. These guards are provided with vertical dovetail/slide ways 31 for the slides 32, which latter are vertically movable by rotation of the screws 33. Truing tool sleeves 34 are mounted in the slides and movable therewith for movement of truing tools, carried by the sleeves, transversely of the operative faces of the grinding and regulating wheels to maintain proper cutting surfaces thereon. In this manner the surfaces of the two wheels may be kept in absolute parallelism so that the regulating wheel 14 rigidly engages and backs up the work piece 36 while the grinding wheel 20 removes stock therefrom to a depth determined by the separation or space between the two wheels, the finished work piece having a uniform thickness corresponding to the spacing of the peripheries of the wheels 14 and 20 at thegrinding throat.

It will be understood that, while the wheels have been shown primarily as formed with plain or fiat surfaces for flat surfacing of work, either wheel, for example, the grinding wheel 20 may be given a contoured surface, ogee curve or the like and thus perform a form grinding or shape operation on the work. This form of wheel surface is indicated at 35 in Figure 8.

The general manner of supporting the work piece 36 in the machine during the grinding operation, said work piece being in the form of` bar stock substantially rectangular in cross-section, is indicated in Figure 2, in which it will be seen that the work piece rests upon and moves transversely along a supporting blade or work rest 37 which has to support the weight only. of the work, since the pressure exerted by the grinding and regulating wheels is horizontal. -This blade 37 is carried by the truss bar 38 supported at opposite ends by brackets 39 adjustably mounted on the ways 40 on the bed 10, so that said work rest may be adjusted horizontally toward either the grinding or the regulating wheel. The bar is also provided with lateral guides 41 for engagement with the sides of the work pieces for .properly guiding said work pieces into the grinding throat defined by the wheels 14 and 20 and also for guiding said work pieces away from the grinding throat. In this manner, the proper relationship between the-work and the grindingand regulating wheels is insured and any cocking or twisting of the work prevented.A

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, in which a modified form of a work-supporting structure is provided, the bed 10 is formed with arcuate guide Ygrooves 42 for an arcuate cradle 43 which has an integral transverse portion 44 providing a connection between the ends of the arcuate portion of said cradle 43. The ends of said cradle 43 have dove-tailed guideways 45 formed thereon for engagement by slide members 46 integrally formed on the opposite ends of a truss bar 38' corresponding to the bar 38 above. The truss bar 38 is adjustable transversely of the cradle by sliding movement on the ways 45 and is secured in adjusted position by bolts 47 which engage extensions 48 on opposite ends of the`cradle, said bolts projecting through elongated slots 49 provided in extensions 50 on the ends of the truss bar 38. Each extension 50 carries an indicator 57 which cooperates with graduations 52 on the extensions 48 for indicating the position of thc truss bar 38'. Said bar 38' is U-shaped in crosssection, as best shown in Fig. 6, and receives a work rest 37' corresponding to the work rest 37 above. The bar 38 supports the work rest transversely of the bed parallel to the plane of lthe wheels, and beneath the grinding throat, with said work rest substantially horizontal for supporting the work piece 36, as will be apparent.

The work piece 36 is guided into and through the grinding throat between the regulating wheel- 14 and the grinding wheel 20 and is supported against transverse movement on the top of the work rest 37' by work guides 53 which are carried by the cradle 43 and extend upwardly on opposite sides of the truss bar 38', one pair of guides being positioned adjacent each end of said truss bar. The transverse portion 44 of the cradle is provided with guideways 54, one of which cooperates with each guideway 45 for supporting the separate work guides, each of which is provided with ways for engagement with the guideways 45 a nd 54. Each separate work guide is locked in adjusted position by T-bolts 55, and, as shown, is independently adjustable laterally on the'portion 44 to accommodate varying widths of work pieces, as will be apparent. Said `guides necessarily maintain their parallel relation by reason of the guideways 45 and 54.

The work piece is advanced as in the construction above described by the rotation of the regulating wheel 14 which procures a feeding movement of the work piece through the grinding throat, and the advance of the work piece is aided by supplementary feed rollers 56 which extend through openings or slots 57 in the work guides 53 for engagement with opposite sides of the work piece. The feed rollers are carried on vertical shafts 58 journaled in slide blocks 59 slidable in openings 60 provided in the work guides 53, the corresponding slide blocks in opposed work guides being urged vtogether by a spring 6l for maintaining said rollers in engagement with work piece. The lower end of the roller shafts 58 carry pulleys 62 which are connected to a pulley 63 on the shaft 13 of the regulating wheel by belts 64, and said belts are arranged on the pulleys 62 to procure rotation of the rollers 56 in the proper direction for feeding the work piece between the grinding and regulating wheels. The rollers 56 are driven at approximately the same surface speed as the regulating wheel and consequently they aid the regulating wheel in procuring a uniform feeding movement of the work pieces through the grinding throat.` In addition to aiding the 'feeding movement, the rollers on the discharge side of the throat carrythe work pieces away from the grinding wheel at the completion of the grinding operation.

In the grinding of work pieces whose width is somewhat less than the width of the grinding wheels, it is desirable to arrange the work to cover substantially the entire surface of said wheel in order to avoid the eventual formation of a groove in said grinding wheel. In order that the dwork may extend entirely across the surface of the grinding wheel, the cradle 43 is arranged to be tipped at an angle to the plane of the wheels for tilting the work pieces relative to the plane of said wheels. To this end, the cradle is provided with a series of gear teeth which are in engagement with a Worm '71 secured to a shaft 72 journaled in the baseA 10. The end of the shaft '72 projects above the base and carries a knob 73 by which the worm 71 may be rotated for rocking of the cradle relative to the base, to vary the angularity of the work rest relative to the plane of the grinding wheel. Angular adjustment of the cradle increases the line ofV contact between the work piece and the grinding wheel so that it is possible for the work piece to contact with the grinding wheel over the entire surface thereof. The work rest 37' is thus adjustable in a plane parallel to the plane of the wheels by shifting of with, to maintain their relation to the work rest..

The grinding wheel is provided with a suitable grinding and cooling fluid from a tank 65 in the base of the machine from which it is drawn by a pump 66 and distributed through a piping system 67 to a nozzle 68 which is positioned above the grinding throat. The grinding uid is alsodirected to the point of contact between the truing tool and the grinding wheel by suitable branch piping 69.

From the foregoing description the method of grinding and operation of the machine for performing the same should be readily understood. It will be noted that the work is held by the adjustable guides in exact proper relationy to the grinding wheel to pass transversely of the face thereof. At the same time the regulating wheel is disposed directly opposite the point of contact of the grinding wheel with the work, eliminating v all possibility of springing of the work away from the grinding wheel and positively fixing the width of throat or distance between the two wheels, so that grinding to extremely accurate limit may be performed.` Likewise, the regulating wheel lcontrols the passage of the work through the machine so that it moves at a proper rate to insure satisfactory continuous grinding. Also, the work progresses continuously through the machine and there is no delay in loading and removing the work pieces while the supplemental rollers both aid in controlling the progress of the work and subsequently move the work away from the wheels to prevent damage to the final end thereof if the continuous passage of successive work pieces through the machine were for any reason interrupted.

It is to be understood that while a machine is shown in which'the wheels are in peripheral opposition and disposed in a horizontal plane that the machine as an entirety might be tilted to an angle, different types or relationships of wheels employed, or the machine even constructed to operate in a vertical in place of a horizontal plane Without departing from the broad inventive con` cept or general method of operation of the machine, so long as comparable results are attained.

I claim:-

1. A grinding machine of the character described, including a pair of peripherally opposed abrasive wheels, one of said wheels being operated at a slow or regulating speed and the other of said wheels at a high or grinding surface speed, said wheels being spaced to form a work receiving throat therebetweenand' having their operative faces in the throat moving in the i same direction, means for relatively adjusting the wheels to vary the separation therebetween, a work controlling bracket adjustably supported adjacent the grinding throat, separate means carried by the bracket for engagement with the face and edge of a work strip to support and guide the strip in predetermined relation to the grinding throat, additional work feeding means carried by the bracket for aiding in conducting work pieces through the machine, and means for resiliently urging said auxiliary feed devices into the path of lwork for frictional engagement therewith.

2. A machine for grinding fiat strips or the like, including a pair of grinding members having opposed operative faces, one of 'said members being driven at a grinding speed and the other at a regulating speed, said latter having its operative face moving in a direction to feed the work piece longitudinally past the grinding wheel surface, means for supporting work between said wheels, and means for varying the angle of movement of work transversely of the wheels.

3. A machine for the surfacing of strip stock comprising a pair of spaced vertical spindles, horizontal peripherally opposed abrasive wheels carried by the spindles, means for relatively adjusting the spindles to control the separation between said wheels, a horizontal work rest member extending transversely of the machine and subtending the grinding throat between the wheels for engagement with the edge of a work piece, whereby the weight of the work piece will press the same ,upon the rest, means for lateral engagement with the work piece to guide the same'into and out of the throat between the wheels, means for rotating one of said wheels at a slow surface speed to frictionally engage and longitudinally control the advance of the work piece, and means for operating the opposed wheel at a high surface speed to grind the juxtaposed surface of the work as it passes thereby.

4. In a precision grinder the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the wheels in definite spaced relation, the bed having anarcuate bearing surface and guide grooves formed therein below the grinding throat, a cradle supported by the arcuate bearing and guide grooves adapted to be arcuately adjusted relative to the bed, and a work supporting blade and work guide members carried by the cradle for supporting and guiding a work piece to and through the grinding throat.

5. In a precision grinder the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the wheels in definite spaced relation, the bed having an arcuate bearing surface and guide grooves formed therein below the grinding throat, a cradle supported by the arcuate bearing and guide grooves adapted to be arcuately adjusted relative to the bed, a work supporting blade and work guide members carried by the cradle for supporting and guiding a work piece to and through the grinding throat, and means for arcuately adjusting the cradle relative to its support whereby to adjust the work supporting blade and work guide members angularly of the grinding throat to 4pass a work piece angularly across the faces of the grinding j and regulating wheels.

6. In a precision grinder the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating members forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the wheels in definite spaced relation, the bed having an arcuate bearin'g surface and guide grooves formed therein below the grinding throat, a cradle supported by the arcuate bearing and guide grooves, the cradle having rack teeth formed in an arcuate periphery, a worm journaled in the bed for engaging the rack teeth for arcuately adjusting the cradle, and a work supporting blade carried by the cradle adapted to be angularly adjusted relative to the opposed faces of the grinding and regulating Wheels.

7. In a precision grinder `the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating wheels forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the wheels in definite spaced relation and provided with an arcuate bearing below the grinding throat, a cradle supported by the bearing and adapted to be arcuately adjusted relative tothe bed and throat, a bracket carried by the cradle subtending the grinding throat, work supporting and guide members carried by the bracket, and means for adjusting the bracket laterally of the cradle member.

8. In a precision grinder the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating members forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the members in denite spaced relation with their proximate surfaces parallel to one another, a cradle in the bed below the grind-' ing throat, a work supporting blade subtending the grinding throat, a bracket for the work supporting blade adjustably carried by the cradle, means for arcuately adjusting the cradle for angularly adjusting the work supporting blade relative to the parallel faces of the grinding and regulating members, and additional means for adjusting the vbracket and work supporting blade laterally of the cradle and toward or from the grinding and regulating members.

9. In a precision grinder the combination of a pair of opposed grinding and regulating members forming a grinding throat therebetween, a bed for supporting the members in definite spaced relation with their proximate surfaces parallel to one another, a cradle in the bed below the grinding throat,V a work supporting blade subtending the grinding throat, a bracket for the work supporting blade adjustably carried by the cradle, means for arcuately adjusting the cradle for angularly adjusting the work supporting blade relative to the parallel faces of the grinding and regulating members, additional means for adjusting the bracket and work supportingblade laterally of the cradle and toward or from the grinding and regulating members, and additional means carried by the cradle for engaging the same surface of the work piece that is engaged by the grinding and regulating members for guiding the work piece in predetermined relation to the grinding throat. v

10. A grinding machine of the character described, including a pair of peripherally opposed abrasive wheels, one of said wheels being operated at a slow work-advancing speed and the other of said wheels being operated at a high or grinding speed, said wheels being spaced to form a work-receiving throat therebetween, means for 4relatively adjusting the wheel to vary the separation therebetween, a work-controlling bracket adjustably supported adjacent the grinding throat, means carried by the bracket for engagement with the face and edges of a work strip to support and guide the strip in predetermined relation to the grinding throat, additional work feeding means carried by the bracket for supplementing the action of the work-advancing wheel in conducting work pieces through the machine, and means for urging said auxiliary work feeding means against the work piece for frictional engagement therewith.

l1. A machine for the surfacing of strip stock comprising a pair of spaced vertical spindles, horizontal peripherally opposed abrasive wheels carried by the spindles, means for relatively adjusting the spindles to control the separation between said wheels, a horizontal work rest member extending transversely of the machine and subtending the grinding throat between the wheels for engagement with the edge of a work piece, whereby the weight of the work piece willpress the same upon the rest, means engaging opposite sides of said work piece to guide the same into and out of the throat between the wheels, means for rotating one of said wheels at a slow surface speed for frictional engagement with and positive longitudinal advance of the work piece through the grinding throat, and means for operating the opposed wheel at a high surface speed for grinding the adjacent surface of the work piece as it is l advanced past said wheel.

12. A machine forrthe surfacing of strip stock, comprising a pair of spaced vertical spindles, horizontal opposed abrasivewheels carried by the spindles, means for maintaining a predetermined spacing between adjacent surfaces of said wheels, a horizontal work rest member extending transversely of the machine and subtending the grinding throat between the wheels for engagement with the edge of a work piece, whereby the weight of the work piece will press the same upon the rest, means for lateral engagement with the work piece to guide the same into and out of the throat between the wheels, means for rotating one of said wheels at a slow surface speed for frictional engagement with and positive longitudinal advance of the work piece 'through the grinding throat, and means for operating the opposed wheel at a high surface speed to grind the adjacent surface of the work as the latter passes through the grinding throat.

13. In a grinding machine for grinding one face of-flat bar stock substantially uniform in cross-section, a bed, a pair of spaced substantially vertical spindles, horizontal wheels carried by said spindles, at least one of said wheels being abrasive for procuring a grinding operation on the work piece,-means for driving the grinding wheel at a high grinding speed', means for driving the other wheel ata feeding speed, the periphery of said last wheel engaging a surface of the work piece for procuring longitudinal advance of said work piece past the grinding wheel, means to procure a radial adjustment of said wheels to determine the width of the grinding throat therebetween, thereby determining the finished width of the bar stock, a work rest-member extending beneath the grinding throat substantially parallel to the plane of the wheels for supporting the bar stock during the spindles in adjusted positions, a work rest member extending transversely of the bed in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the grinding wheels and subtending the grinding throat formed between the wheels for engagement with one edge of the work piece, whereby the weight of the work piece will press same onto the work rest, means for lateral engagement with the work piece to guide same into and out of the grinding throat, means for rotating one of the spindles and its wheel at a slow surface speed to frictionally engage and control the longitudinal advance of the work piece, means for operating the opposed wheel at a high surface speed to grind the juxtaposed surface of the work as it passes thereby; and means for varying the spacing of said work guides to accommodate different widths of the bar stock.

15. In a grinding machine for grinding one face of at bar stock substantially uniform in cross-section, a bed, a pair of spaced substantially vertical spindles, horizontal wheels carried by said spindles, at least one of said wheels being abrasive for procuring a grinding operation on the work piece, means for driving the grinding Wheel at-a high grinding speed, means for driving the other wheel at a feeding speed, the periphery of said last wheel engaging a surface of the work piece for procuring longitudinal advance of said work piece past the grinding wheel, means to procure a radial adjustment of said wheels to determine the width of the grinding throat therebetween, thereby determining the nished width of the bar stock, a work restrmember extending beneath the grinding throat substantially parallel to the plane of the wheels for supporting the bar 'stock during its passage through the grinding throat and guide members for engagement with opposite sides of the through the grinding throat, and means for ad-f justing the angularity of said work rest relative to said wheels in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said wheels.

bar stock for directing itv .sive for procuring a grinding operation on the work piece, means for driving the grinding wheel at a high grinding speed, means for driving the.

other wheel at a feeding speed, the periphery of said last wheel engaging a surface of the work piece for procuring longitudinal advance of said work piece past the grinding wheel, means to pro- .cure a radial adjustment of said wheels to determine the width of the grinding throat therebetween, thereby determining the finished width of the bar stock, a work rest member extending beneaththe grinding throat substantially parallel to the plane of the wheels for supporting the bar stock during its passage through the grinding throat and guide members for engagement with opposite sides of the bar stock for directing it through the grinding throat, and means for adjusting the position of said work rest relative to the grinding throat in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said wheels.)

17. `In a grinding machine for grinding one face of at bar stocksubstantially uniform in crosssection, a bed, a pair of spaced substantially vertical spindles, horizontalwheels carried by said spindles. at least one of said wheels being abrasive for procuring a grinding operation on the work piece, means for driving the grinding wheel at a high grinding speed, means for driving the other wheel at a feeding speed, the periphery of said last wheel engaging a surface of the work piece for procuring longitudinal advance of said work piece past the grinding Wheel, means to procure a radial adjustment of said wheels to determine the width of the grinding throat therebetween, thereby determining the finished width of the bar stock, a work rest member extending beneath the grinding throat substantially parallel to the plane of the wheels for supporting the bar stock during its passage through the grinding throat and guide members for engagement with opposite sides of the bar stock for directing it through the grinding throat, and means for adjusting said 1'ool lwork rest and guides as a unit in a plane substang mms R. HEIM. 

